URGENT NEED ADVICE

[gettingmymessages]

Hello..here is my story 5 months ago i contracted genital herpes from a sex worker that is known to have HIV..i had all the typical ARS symptoms of HIV,soaking night sweats,rapid weight lose,extreme fatigue and white coated tongue which was treated with apo-fluconazole which helped it clear up but it still persist today..i have been tested for HIV time and time again right up to 5 months 1 week all negative..and all the std,s also all negative, except for the genitals herpes..anyways i still have these on going symptoms which are getting worst which are server swollen stiff neck ..i have extreme headaches everyday none stop i feel nauseated and dizzy all the time..i have a hard time just typing on my computer screen because of the glare is hurting my eyes ...my headaches are so server i have to put an ice pack on my front forehead head and on my neck as it is burning up so much right were the skull and neck meet..3 days ago i had what to be believed as a seizure which lasted for about 3 minuets..anyways my questions are this..are my HIV test conclusive...what might be causing my server headaches and neck pain,can this be meningitis and if so can it be caused from the fungi in my mouth i went to see my doctor again and he gave me Sporanox to treat the fungi i told him i think i might have meningitis he order x-rays of my neck and some regular blood work and he said will take it from there.although he did flip when he felt my neck and sayed of my god its so stiff ..anyways do i have viral meningitis from the herpes infections..the only thing that comes to mind is that i,m HIV positive and i haven't produced antibodies yet or i have meningitis..and if so which one would it be bacterial or viral also any ideas why i,m having such a hard time getting rid of my white coated tongue?..any advice please i,m getting really scared as i cant take the headaches and pain no more..i,m scarring my girlfriend and family now as they are really starting to worry over my condition..please any advice..

[refine3456]

I read your post, i had meningitis last week, was admitted to ER.

symptoms: headache similar to migraine, has problems seeing light, nausea, stiff neck, fever.

Did a spinal tap(puncture) and found out it is due to HSV.

Started using Valtrex 1GM 3 times a day fro 8 days, motrin 800 mg, percocet.

started to get better.

Valtrex and motrin works better.

make sure if you get any of these symptoms in future start taking valtrex immedeately without delay.

Remember most important thing is to keep yourself cool, no stress.

if you have stress or extremely fatigued, depression, there is chance you get the meningitis again.

try keeping your self worry free.......

Good luck .

[gettingmymessages]

Hello..Carol thanks you for your time..i believe your right it is probably is the HSV virus..i was proscribe valtrex but i don't use it, should i..will this help get rid of the inflammation etc..is valtrex the same as Acyclovir

[Carol in PA]

"Is valtrex the same as Acyclovir?"
I'm not familiar with the meds.  You could ask a pharmacist.

Are you still having headaches and stiff neck.

If you have symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis, you need to check with your doctor again.  (See my first post.)
He may change your treatment if he diagnoses that.

If the treatment he first prescribed didn't work, he needs to know so he can reevaluate the situation.
If you didn't take the Valtrex that he prescribed, and got worse, he needs to know that so he can decide what to do next.

I think you are shortchanging yourself by not taking the prescribed medication, and by not going back to the doctor if you have no improvement.

Carol

[Carol in PA]

I noticed no one had responded to your post, so I took a look at it.
My area of study for the last couple years has been tick borne infections, and I noticed that some of your symptoms are common to people with TBI.

Extreme headaches
Severe stiff neck
Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
Dizzy and nausea
Possible seizure
Yeast infection of mouth


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Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain, commonly caused by a viral infection.
Sometimes, encephalitis can result from a bacterial infection....

Patients with encephalitis suffer from fever, headache and photophobia with weakness and seizures also common. Less commonly, stiffness of the neck can occur....

Stiff neck, due to the irritation of the meninges covering the brain, indicates that the patient has either meningitis or meningoencephalitis.

Diagnosis is often made with detection of antibodies against specific viral agent (such as herpes simplex virus)....

Treatment is usually symptomatic.
Reliably tested specific antiviral agents are available only for a few viral agents (e.g. acyclovir for herpes encephalitis) and are used with limited success for most infection except herpes simplex encephalitis.

Reference:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encephalitis

=========

Encephalitis can be caused by a tick borne virus, but since you test positive for herpes, it's probably that.  That's up to the physician to diagnose.
Some people may have more than one infectious disease going on at the same time.

The soaking night sweats and extreme fatigue can be symptoms of Babesiosis, a tick borne parasite that infects the red blood cells.
In some respects, it is similar to Malaria, and is treated with the same medications.

Please go back to see your doctor again.
I think he may be missing something here.

Would you post back, and let us know how you are?

Wishing you the best,
Carol